Welcome to the May issue of Sustainable Shellharbour. This month we’re thrilled to invite you to a Nature Talk in the library featuring ‘Mission Mushroom’ with Alison Pouliot. We provide updates on the 2021 Aussie Backyard Bird Count, Tinkerage workshops, and Bush care and Land care groups. We also invite you to provide feedback on some draft plans for the future of our City. Read on for more.

Nature Talks are back in the library!
Mission Mushroom 

Join us to welcome globe-trotting ecologist and photographer, Alison Pouliot, and hear about her decades-long mission to uncover the marvels and mysteries of the world's fungi.

From Australia’s central deserts to Iceland’s glaciers, Alison has turned up mushrooms in surprising and unexpected places. Along the way, she works with scientists and artists, conservationists and Indigenous peoples to advocate their conservation and understanding.
  
In this illustrated talk, Alison will share stories of her travels and experiences with fungi, and her thoughts about the recent global groundswell of interest in these curious organisms.
  
Signed copies of Alison’s books, 'The Allure of Fungi' and 'Wild Mushrooming' will be available.  
  
This event is designed for adults and children 8 years+
Book your free spot for Wednesday 11 May 2022 at 6:00pm through Eventbrite.

The Nature Talks program is coordinated by Shellharbour City Libraries in partnership with Shellharbour City Council’s Environment team.  

These free monthly events are designed for the community to hear from presenters involved in biodiversity conservation and research, nature photography and wildlife care. 

Aussie Backyard Bird Count Results 2021

Each year, tens of thousands of Australians head outside to take part in Birdlife Australia's’ Aussie Backyard Bird Count, the nation’s largest citizen science event.
 
It’s been a few months since the 2021 Bird Count, and Robin report for the data collected is now in! The count ran from the 18^th to 24^th October 2021.

The following statistics summarise the results of the 2021 Aussie Backyard Bird Count for the Shellharbour City Council.

• 270 observers participated
• Observers recorded a total of 12,379 individual birds
• 132 bird species were recorded

1. Rainbow Lorikeet (1389 counts)
2. House Sparrow (1050 counts)
3. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (794 counts)

The data collected plays a vital role in providing important information to Birdlife Australia.
The 2022 Aussie Backyard Bird Count will run from October 17^th to 23^rd. More info to come on this.

Let’s Chat – Check out what we have proposed for the future! 

Be part of shaping Shellharbour’s future by reviewing the goals and plans for the City.  

The draft Community Strategic Plan 2022-2032, draft Resourcing Strategy 2022 -2032, draft combined Delivery Program 2022-2026 and Operational Plan 2022-2023 (including draft Fees and Charges 2022-2023) and the draft Local Strategic Planning Statement 2022-2042 are currently on exhibition.

You can view these plans and associated documents on our Let's Chat page. 

These documents are part of the Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework (IP&R) and set out Council’s strategic direction for the City.   

Submissions are invited and will be received until 4.30pm 25 May 2022. Submissions must be received in writing and can be provided in several ways:  

• Email your submission to OurCity@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au  

• Mail your submission to:  

  The Chief Executive Officer  

  Locked Bag 155  

  Shellharbour City Centre, 2529 

• Complete the ‘Share your Feedback’ online form through Councils Let's Chat page. 

EV ready buildings – webinar and resources 

The Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) are helping residential strata complexes and commercial premises prepare their buildings for the future. 

They have put together a 5-step process and supporting documents to help get your building Electric Vehicle (EV) ready. 

Whether you are an owner, tenant, strata manager or developer the EV ready buildings content will help you get started. It includes charging options, costing tool as well as survey and letter templates.  

DPE are also holding a webinar with further information on Thursday 12 May. For details visit:  

Drive electric NSW EV ready buildings webinar, Hosted online, 12th of May | Humanitix 

The Tinkerage - Thursday and Friday sessions on

The Tinkerage is a community-use space for the making, repairing, and re-purposing of things that would otherwise end up in landfill. 

Tinkering sessions are back on from 9:30am to 2pm on Thursdays and 10am to 3pm on Fridays, with participation by gold coin donation. 
 
COVID-safe measures in place and bookings strictly limited to 10 people. Please contact Anita to book your place on 0416148202 or tinkerage@resourcerecovery.org.au.  

Located behind the Reviva Tip Shop at Dunmore Recycling and Waste Disposal Depot, the Tinkerage is a joint venture between Shellharbour City Council and Resource Recovery Australia. 
  
Check out their Instagram page here. For enquiries email tinkerage@resourcerecovery.org.au, or phone the Reviva Shop on 42375193.  

Creative mending of Clothing Workshop at The Tinkerage 

Join Michele Elliot on Saturday 7 May from 10am to 3pm and learn some creative stitching to repair tears and holes in a worn and loved item of clothing. Using the kantha technique of hand stitch combined with patching, you can recycle clothing as well as fabric scraps to breathe new life into your garments. Join the creative mending revolution!

This workshop is free for residents living in the Shellharbour council area. A $40 fee applies for non-Shellharbour residents.

You must wear enclosed protective shoes to The Tinkerage. BYO: clothes to repair, cotton embroidery thread – stranded, fabric for patching, scissors, and embroidery needles. Feel free to bring along lunch/drink bottle too. Participants must be over 16 years old.

Places are strictly limited. Bookings for the Tinkerage workshops can be made by emailing tinkerage@resourcerecovery.org.au, phoning 0416148202, or via Eventbrite.

Tinkerage Tool Skills Workshop at The Tinkerage 

Join Anita Johnson on Saturday 18th June from 10am to 3pm to learn how to use a variety of tools safely and efficiently. Develop hands-on skills for life, that you can use to repair or up-cycle things around your home.

This workshop is free for residents living in the Shellharbour council area. A $40 fee applies for non-Shellharbour residents.

You must wear enclosed protective shoes to The Tinkerage. BYO: clothes to repair, cotton embroidery thread – stranded, fabric for patching, scissors, and embroidery needles. Feel free to bring along lunch/drink bottle too. Participants must be over 16 years old.

Places are strictly limited. Bookings for the Tinkerage workshops can be made by emailing tinkerage@resourcerecovery.org.au, phoning 0416148202, or via Eventbrite.

BushCare and Landcare Groups

BushCare and LandCare volunteer groups provide an incredible service greening our city and improving the local environment. Working bees are now back on, with COVID safe measures in place. Why not join in a working bee and see what it's all about?  

Below are the following dates, times and locations for meet ups this month. Feel free to get in touch with Mirko who is acting Council’s Natural Areas Supervisor if you have any questions on 0405695935. 

Oakey Creek BushCare 

The group will meet from 9:00am – 12:00pm. Contact Council on 4221 6111 for details. Meet at the Oakey Creek Reserve, located at 1 The Esplanade. Next Dates:  

• Wednesday 11th May and 25th May, 8th June  9am – 12pm 

• Saturday 14th May and 11th June  9am - 12pm 

Warilla Dunes Bushcare

The group meets in the north side of the surf club on Osborne Parade. Next dates: 

• Saturday 14th May and June 11th 8am – 10am. 

The Watercourse

The Watercourse BushCare at Campaspe Circuit Albion Park normally meets on the second Sunday of each month from 8.30am until 12:30pm on Campaspe CCT Albion Park, For more details, please contact Council on 4221 6111.  

• 15th May 9.30am – 12.30pm

Tullimbah LandCare  

Volunteers will be meeting at Elizabeth Brownlee Reserve (end of Digby Close, Albion Park). Contact Ruth Jenkins for details on 0402027221. 

• 28th May 9am – 11am 

Koona Bay Bushcare

Meets first Sunday of the month from 1:00pm -4:00pm. Volunteers are advised to meet at the reserve gate entrance, located at 29 Bridge Ave. 

• Sunday 5th June – 1pm - 4pm. 

Blackbutt Forest

The scheduled next working bee for Blackbutt reserve is for Sunday 5th June from 9:00am – 12:00pm. 

Meeting points vary each month. Please call Russell (group Co-ordinator) on 0466977125 for further information.  

• Sunday 5th June 9am – 12pm 

As we get into the cooler months, don’t forget to still be sun safe! Bring along your hats, sunscreen, water bottles and sunglasses to the working bees. 

Native Plant of the Month

Azolla 

Azolla is an Australian native fern that is common in many waterways. The plant is small, with a diameter of 1-2.5 cm but may grow densely making it look like a green or red carpet over the water.  

This native fern can be very beneficial to the aquatic environment, as it: 

• Provides a food source for waterfowl, fish, shrimp, insects, worms, snails and crustaceans   

• Provides habitat to many of these small organisms  

• Discourages blue-green algal blooms by limiting the availability of food source for the algae (restricts sunlight penetration into water and takes up nutrients)  

• Can act as a biological mosquito control by preventing mosquito larvae surfacing for air  

• Can restrict the growth of invasive aquatic plants as it limits nutrient availability to them 

From a distance, people often mistake Azolla for algae bloom, or with Salvinia (a noxious aquatic weed). Upon closer inspection it can be differentiated by the naked eye. Azolla leaves are scale-like and 2-lobed (lobes 0.2c long). Older leaves can be red in sunlight and green in the shade. The main stem has pinnate branches, and branches are longer towards the base of the stem giving the plant a triangular shape. 

Councils Nursery

Veggies to plant in May – Temperate Australia

FOGO - Food Organics Garden Organics

By sending our foodscraps to FOGO, we are able to:

• Save landfill space
• Reduce methane gas emissions
• Give back to the earth by producing a nutrient-rich compost
• Help reduce our environmental footprint

Let's contribute to a greener future by simply throwing our food scraps into the green bin!

In the neighbourhood  

Flying-fox concerns – food shortages

Recent high rainfall events have resulted in the loss of foraging habitat for our native Grey Headed Flying-fox. Locally, people have noticed deceased animals as starvation has caused an impact on the population.

These unique and social winged mammals feed on nectar and pollen of native trees. The flowers of these trees have been destroyed in the recent rains, leading to the Flying-foxes either starving, or eating toxic fruits (namely fruits from Cocos palm trees). People have been increasingly finding sick or deceased Flying-foxes for this reason.  

 In NSW, Grey-headed Flying-foxes are listed as a threatened species and are a keystone species in our forests. They play an important role in spreading pollen and seeds.  

ABC Illawarra has released the following comment on the issue: 

“Wildlife rescuers say they are being inundated with calls about dead flying foxes following several major rain events in recent weeks.  

Janine Davis from Wildlife Rescue South Coast says the animals have lost many of their food sources including eucalyptus blossoms, washed away by heavy rain. 

Ms Davis says the flying foxes are so hungry they are eating the poisonous fruit from Cocos palms.  

"What we're asking people to do if they do have Cocos palms is please remove the fruit because it will be a very nasty and horrid death for an animal which is critical for forests to survive," she said. 

Wildlife Rescue South Coast can be contacted on 0418 427 214.” 

WIRES has also made the following comment: 

“A young Grey-headed Flying-fox was recently found taking shelter from the rain outside a children’s playhouse in Western Sydney. WIRES Emergency Rescue team rescued the flying-fox and, after a few days in care with WIRES, she was released back into the wild. 

With flooding occurring across many regions, please be aware that wildlife will, in many cases, be sheltering in unusual places. Please be compassionate and allow the animal to shelter, they may have nowhere else to go until the situation eases.  

Please do not approach or try to contain flying-foxes or microbats. Call WIRES immediately on 1300 094 737 for advice.” 

You can read more on the About Regional page here.